Nicolas Hipperson is no fan of football or hockey. “I hate both of them,” he says with dead certainty. But ask Hipperson, the chef at Raincity Grill, what sport fans can snack on during the Super Bowl this Sunday, that’s another story. He’s into it. He might not know a fullback from a quarterback, or for that matter, a cross check from a bodycheck, but when it comes to feeding sports fans, he’s got opinions.

Arancini, he says, is something a guy fan could make. “Essentially, arancini is overcooked risotto, formed into a ball and fried,” he says. Easy as that. “They’re crunchy, salty and good for watching any sports.”

And most importantly, chased by a swig of beer, they’re perfection.

Being a couch-potato sport fan isn’t as easy as one might think. Food affects mood. You don’t want to fill up on Cheezies and Ruffles with ridges. Too many and you might be needing a nap. You want to be alert, energetic to respond to the fumbles and the touchdowns. You need real food but not too much.

Given that this is Super Bowl weekend, and with the NHL back in working order, too, there might be some sport-fan bonding going on and good food can be a super-glue for bonding. So here are some recipe ideas from some Vancouver chefs to snack your way through the tough weekend coming up.

Fried Chicken Wings with Nahm Jim Jiao

From chef Angus An of Maenam Restaurant:

12 chicken wings

1 cup (250 ml) cornstarch

Salt and white pepper

Sugar

Chili powder

Season the chicken wings with salt and white pepper. Toss them in cornstarch until a thick coating is achieved. Fry in deep fryer at 350 F until golden brown and crispy (about 7 minutes). Season to taste with sugar, salt and chili powder.

This calls for toasted ground rice which you can make yourself by soaking Thai sticky rice in water overnight, then drying in a piloted oven, or one on a very low heat, over another night. When dry, toast in the oven until golden and grind into a powder.

Combine all ingredients. Adjust seasoning to taste. Should be equally sour, salty, sweet and spicy.

Makes 2 servings

Spiced Italian Eggplant and Tomato Dip

From Chef Alvin Pillay of The New Oxford pub:

1 cup (250 mL) extra virgin olive oil

2 large Italian eggplants, diced small

1 yellow onion, julienned

6 cloves garlic, minced

5 vine-ripened tomatoes, diced small

1/8 tsp. (.5 mL) ground fennel

1/8 tsp. (.5 mL) ground cumin

Dried chili flakes

¼ bunch flatleaf Italian parsley, chiffonade (ribbon) cut

6 large leaves basil, chiffonade cut

Juice of 1 lemon

Kosher salt

Freshly cracked black pepper

Heat olive oil in a large, heavy bottomed sauté pan. Add the eggplant and fry until golden brown. Season with salt.

Add the onions, garlic, and tomatoes. Continue to fry on high heat while constantly stirring.

Add the spices, measured to taste. Reduce the heat to low and cook for 20 minutes. Adjust the seasonings, add the fresh herbs and lemon juice. Cool to room temperature before serving.

From chef Nicolas Hipperson of Raincity Grill, who says this can be served with a ready-made ranch dressing or blue cheese dressing:

3 tbsp. (45 ml) olive oil

2 tbsp. (30 ml) garlic, minced

½ cup (125 ml) onion, diced

2 cups (500 ml) arborio rice

½ cup (125 ml) white wine

6 cups (1.5 L) chicken stock, warm

2 tbsp. (30 ml) unsalted butter

½ cup (125 ml) Parmesan, finely grated

7 oz. (200 g) goat cheese

4 eggs, beaten with 45 ml (3 tbsp.) water

1 cup (250 ml) all-purpose flour

2 cups (500 ml) panko crumbs

6 cups (1.5 L) canola oil

Salt and pepper to taste

Cooking the risotto

In a large fry pan heat olive oil over medium heat. Add garlic and onion and slightly sauté until translucent. Add rice and toss in oil to coat each and every grain, stirring constantly. Continue to cook to give the grains of rice a light toast. Add the white wine and while continuing to stir, cook over medium heat until the wine has reduced. It is important to not stop stirring. Begin to add a 113 g (4 oz.) ladle of stock, one ladle at a time, waiting for the stock to be reduced each time before adding the next ladle. Continue this process until rice is cooked through (approx. 20 minutes). Once the risotto is cooked, finish with a seasoning of salt and pepper to taste and a generous handful of Parmesan cheese.

Transfer cooked risotto to a baking sheet and allow to cool.

Forming the arancini

Once the risotto is cool, take a small handful and form it into a ball slightly smaller than a golf ball. Take a small piece of the goat cheese and press into the centre of the ball, reforming the rice back around to hide the cheese. Repeat this process until all of the rice is used. Place finished balls on a baking sheet in a single layer.

In separate bowls, lay out in this order: flour, eggs with water mixture, and panko. Dredge each ball in flour, then coat in the egg wash, then coat in the panko breadcrumbs. Once all your arancini balls are breaded, store in the fridge until ready to fry.

Fill a deep pot, about 10 inches (25 cm), ¾ full of canola oil. Heat to about 375 F. If you have a deep fryer at home, fill it with oil and heat to 375 F. Cook in batches of 4 to 6 balls, depending on the size of your pot. Cook until golden brown and cheese is melted in the middle.

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